Material handling apparatus



Oct. 27, 1931. A. SHELBURNE MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed April 15, 1922 2 SheetsSheet l M M y R mm m v Q R Q R Q fi Wm a f Wm m T NH, 3 M l 00 l P 4 1 IV. M o a L o n w l| 1 o i a Q N mm m.\

Oct. 27, 1931. A. SHELBURNE 1,828,751

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed April 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 27, 1931 omrsosrarss PATIENT orric 1 ARTHUR SHELBURNE, or TERRE rinurrn, rnninn'aessrenon T SULLIVAN m. I CHINE-RY COMPANY, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Y Application filed Ap1'i1 1 5, 192.2, Serial No. 553,123. Renewed January 29, 1 929.

i My invention relates to improvements in materlal-handllng apparatus and is adapted particularly for handling loosem'aterial in piles such as coal and thelike.

More specifically my invention is adapted for loading coal which has been shot down in the mine, it being particularly adaptable for automatically transferring this shot coal from the mine-bottom to the mine car;

F orthe purpose of disclosingmy invention I have illustrated one embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings in which:

F ig. 1 is a plan view. of the apparatus as a whole; 4

Fig.2 is a rearelevatmnthereof;

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged-plan view of the picle.

up mechanism;

Fig. {l is afront elevation of the same, and v front and rear edges thereof channelmem-' Fig. 5 is an end elevation thereof; 7

In the. embodiment of the invention illustrated ,I provide digging and pickup cylinders 6 which are preferablyfof small diameter andadapted to dig in'under the coal andcause thesame to be movedand to drop on a conveyor 7 This conveyor in turn delivers the coal to a second elevating conveyor 8 which is arranged to deliver the coal to the mine car or wherever desired. apparatus is mounted on a bed frame 9 which forms a skid on which the apparatus is moved and on whichthe driving mechanism of the apparatus isimounted.

The advancing mechanism of the handling apparatus 'comprisesa pair of power-driven drums 10 and ll-which drumsare driven by an electric motor 12 having a worm gear drive connection 13 with the shaft 14, in turn having a worm gear drive connection 15 with the shaft 16. The two drums 10 and 11 are arranged to be connected with the shaft 16 through the medium of operating clutches 17 and 18. These clutches are controlled by operating handles 19 and 20-accessible fromthe operators seat 21 mounted on the base 9. The speed of the motor 12 is controlled by a controller 22 operated by a handle 23 like wiseaccessible from the drivers seat; A cable.

2e is Wound on the drum 10 and after passing over the idler 25 and the pulley 26 the free end thereof,isattachedtoa dead man well Thein advance-of the-loading apparatus. A similar cable 27 is wound on the drum 11 and is attached to a dead man at the rear of the apparatus. By this arrangement the appaawhole may be advanced or retracted in a rightline' direction. By operating one drum and releasingthe other drum entirely the apparatus maybe skewed in either direction.

theapparatus as The bed frame 9 is extended-laterally and on this lateral extension is-mounted at the here 28. Similar members 29 extend between these channels 28 to provide suitable bracing means. This forms a support for the rollers over which the conveyor 7 is adapted to pass and also provides means for supporting the forwardly projecting arms 30 which are arranged at suitable intervals at the front edge of the bed frame andprovide bearing supportsfor the digging and pickup cylinder shaft 31. I r

. ihe digging and pickup cylinder preferae bly comprises a plurality of sections,,each

of which has a hub portion 32 keyed onwthe shaft 31 and a plurality ofradial arms 33,' which arms are adapted toreceive cutter bits'.34:held,.in position by set-screws 35.

These bits .34.co1nprise digging or cutting fingers and are sufficiently sharpened for this tion in the direction of rotation of the pick up cylinder as indicated in Figure 5, the-direction of rotation of the cylinder being in.- dicated by the arrow.

The shaft 31 has a bevel gear connection 36 purpose. They also have a generalinclinalwith 'a'transverse'shaft 37' likewise having a bevel gear connection 38 with a longitudinal spud shaft '39. lYIounted on thebase 9 is a large horizontally disposed bevel .wheel Ohaving a bevel gear'connection 41 with a shaft l2fioperated 'from'th-e shaft 14 through flthe clutch mechanism 43. This clutch mechanism is controlled by an operating lever 44 accessible from the drivers seat. The bevel gear etO comprises a main driving gear for the conveyors and the pickup cylinders; The shaft 39 has a bevel gear connection 45 with this bevel gear 4:0 whereby the pickup cylinders are operated therefrom and the chain drives 46 and d7 for the sections of the convcyor 8 are operated from a shaft 48 having a bevel gear connection 49 with this bevel gear 40. The conveyor 7 is operated by a chain drive 50 taking its power from the shaft 37 so that the various conveyor sections as well as the pickup cylinders are driven in unison when the power is applied to the main drive bevel gear 40. Any form of conveyor desirabie may be used. I have illustrated typically a conveyor comprising sprocket chains 51 arranged to pass over end sprockets and having arranged between them conveyor cross members or vanes 53 which as they are advanced will engage the material dropped on the platform 54 of the conveyor and move the material along. The upper :dges of members 53 are approximately on level with the upper sides of the pick-up cylinders G, the shaft 31 of which lies in a horizontal plane between the lower runs of the conveyor 7 as best seen in Fig. 5 and the vanes .53 are equally spaced, thereby providing a :-:eries of receiving and conveying compart ments for the material delivery by the cylln- 'ders. At the edge of the conveyor opposite the diggingrand pickup cylinders there is provided an inclined back wall 55 extend-V ing well above the level of the cylinders which prevents the material from falling 0d the conveyor 7 Similar side walls 56 and 57 are provided at the side of the conveyor 8 :o confine the material in the path of the conveyor.

In operation the digging pickup cylinders 6 are advanced toward the pile of loose coal, the cylinders being arranged close to the ground and as the cylinders rotate the bits 34 cut into the mass of the coal, causing the pickup cylinders to dig in under the coal whereby the coal will be caused to fall on the conveyor 7 both by this digging in of the cylinder and also the tendency of the bits to throw the coal rearwardly and on the conveyor as they are advanced. The coal is transferred by the conveyors 7 and 8 to the mine car or to any place desired.

I have described the apparatus as being particularly applicable for the handling of coal and in the claims have described it as a coal handling apparatus. It will be understood however that this is typical of the material to be handled and that the apparatus is equally applicable to handling other loose material having the same characteristics of coal, such for instance as gravel, dirt and the like. I

WVhile I have in this application specifical ly described one embodiment which the invention may assume in practice, it will. be understood that this embodiment of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of theuappen'dedl claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In coal handling apparatus;the combination of a horizontally positioned; oblong support, means on said support foradlvancing it in the direction of its breadth, and coal loading mechanism carried by said support comprising a conveyor travelling in the direction of the length of the support, a pick-up cylinder adjacent one edge of said conveyor and mounted on an axis below its receiving surface, and means adjacent the opposite edge of said conveyor for retaining material thereit in the direction of its breadtlnandjcoak loading mechanism carried bysaidjsuppo t comprising a conveyor travelling= -inthejd a rection of the length of the support, a piclt= up cylinder adjacent one edge-of; said? convey or and mounted on an axisbelow itsreceiving snrface, said conveyor having spaced vanes the upper edges of which lie in a horizontal plane which intersects the upper radius of said cylinder, and means adjacent the oppo=. site edge of said conveyor for retaining material thereon.

3. Loading mechanism comprising a skid, conveyor mechanism having its receiving end disposed thereover, loading means disposed at one side of the receiving end of said conveyor mechanism adapted to deliver material onto the latter, a motor on said skid beneath a portion of said conveyor mechanism, a main gear journaled on a vertical axis on said skid'beneath said conveyor mechanism, operative connections between said main gear and said conveyor mechanism, operative connections between said main gear and said motor, and flexible lateral feeding mechanism operatively connected to said last mentioned operative connections.

l. Loading mechanism comprising a skid,

a conveyor mechanism having its recelving end disposed thereover, loading means disposed at one side of the receiving end of said conveyor mechanism adapted to deliver material on to the latter, a motor on said skid, a supplemental conveyor on said skid having its receiving end beneath the delivery end of said first mentioned conveyor and its delivery end extending over said motor, a main gear journaled on a vertical axis on said skid beneath the receiving end of said last mentioned conveyor, operative connections be- 2. In'coal handling apparatus, the corn-bit nation of a hor1zontally positionedfloblqng; support, means on said support for advancing,

connected to said motor.

tween said nain gear andsaid conveyor mech an'ism, operative" Iconnect ons jbetween said iiainjgear andsaidj motor, and flexible lat eral feeding mechanism 'like'wiseoperatively Ina coal handling apparatus, the combinationjof a horizontally positioned oblong support, means on said support for advancing it in the direction of its breadth, and coal loading mechanism carried by said support comprising a conveyor travelling in the direction of the length of said support, and a pickup cylinder adjacent one edge of said conveyor and mounted on an axisbelow its re ceiving surface. I

6. In a coal handling apparatus, the combination of a horizontally positioned oblong support, meanson said support for advancing it in the direction of its breadth, and coal loading mechanism carried by said support comprising a conveyor travelling in the direction of the length of the support, and a pick-up cylinder adjacent one edge of said conveyor and mounted on an axis below its receiving surface, said conveyor having spaced vanes the upper edges of which lie in a horizontal plane which intersects the shaft, conveying means on said support in-' cluding a front elevating conveyor and a rear discharge conveyor, said rear discharge conveyor being mounted for horizontal swinging movement relative to said support about a vertical axis, material gathering means on said support including a gathering member for moving the material to be loaded directly onto said elevating conveyor, driving connections between said motor and said material gathering means including a horizontal main driving shaft extending longitudinally of the .machine, a transmission element ournaled on said support for rotation about a vertical axis and driven by said shaft and driving connections between said transmission element and said gatheringmember, the axis of said transmission element being arranged coincident with the rear conveyor axis, feeding means for the machine for feeding the same bodily laterally over the mine bottom to effect lateral engagement of said material gathering memher with the material to beload'ed and to control the angular position of'said gathering member relative to the material, and includment of said material ingv relatively rotatable feeding and control-- ling drums and cables cooperating respectively therewith, driving connections between said main driving shaft and said drums, and driving connections between said transmission element and said'conveyi ig means.

9. In a loading machine, a support slidable on its bottom directly on the mine bottom, a motor on said support andhaving a power shaft, conveying means on said support ineluding a front" elevatingconveyor and a rear discharge conveyor,-saidrear discharge conveyor being mounted for horizontal swinging movement relative ,to said support about a vertical axis, 7 mater al gathering means on said support including a gathering member for movingth'e inaterialto be loaded directly onto 'said'elevatingconveyor, driving connections between said motor and, said material gatheringmea1is including a horizontal main driving shaft extending longt tudinally of the machine with its axis lying in the central longitudinal verticalplane of the machine, a transmission'element journaled on said support for rotation about a vertical axis lyingin the same vertical plane as said main driving shaft axis and driven said-shaft anddriving connections between said transmission element and said gathering member, the axis of said transmission element being arranged coincident with the rear conveyor axis, feedingmeans for the machine for feeding the same bodily laterally .over the mine bottomto effect lateral engagegathering member with the material to'be loaded and to control the angular position of said gathering member relative to the material, and including relatively rotatable feedingfaiid controlling drums and cables cooperating respectively therewith, driving connections between said main driving shaft and said drums, and driv ing connections between said transmission element and said conveying means. 7

10. In a loading machine, a' support slidable on its bottom directly on the nii'iebottom, a motor on said support and having a power shaft, conveying means on said support including a front elevating conveyor and a rear discharge conveyor, said rear discharge conveyor being mounted forhorizontal swinging movement relative to said support about a vertical axis, material gathering means on said supportincluding a, gathering member for moving the material to be loaded directly onto said elevating conveyor, driving connections between said motor and said material gathering means including; a hori- -zontal main driving shaft extending longitudinally of the machine with its axis lying inthe central longitudinal verticalplane of the machine, a transmission element journaled' onsaid'support for-rotation about a vertical axislyiiig in the same vertical plane as said main driving shaft axis and driven by said shaft and driving connections between said transmission element and said gathering member, the axis of said transmission element being arranged coincident with the rear conveyor axis, feeding means for the machine for feeding the same bodily laterally over the mine bottom to effect lateral engagement of said material gathering member with the material to be loaded and to control the angular position of said gathering member relative to the material, and including relatively rotatable feeding and controlling drums and cables cooperating respectively therewith, driving connections between said main driving shaft and said drums including cooperating worm gearing including a worm wheel, a transverse shaft driven thereby, and driving connections between said shaft and each drum, and driving connections between said transmission element and said conveying means.

11. In a loading machine, a support slidable on its bottom directly on the mine bottom, a motor on said support and having a power shaft, conveying means on said support including a front elevating conveyor and a rear discharge conveyor, said rear dis charge conveyor being mounted for horizon tal swinging movement relative to said support about a vertical axis, material gathering means on said support including a gathering member for moving the material to be loaded directly onto said elevating conveyor, driving connections between said motor and said material gathering means including a horizontal main driving shaft extending longitudinally of the machine with its axis lying in the central longitudinal vertical plane of the machine, a transmission element journaled on said support for rotation about a vertical axis lying in the same vertical plane as said main driving shaft axis and driven by said shaft, and driving connections between said transmission element and said gathering member, the axis of said transmission element being arranged coincident with the rear conveyor axis, feeding means for the machine for feeding the same bodily laterally over the mine bottom to effect lateral engagement of said material gathering member with the material to be loaded and to control the angular position of said gathering member relative to the material, and including relatively rotatable feeding and controlling drums and cables cooperating respectively therewith, driving connections between said main driving shaft and said drums including cooperating worm gearing including a worm wheel, a transverse shaft driven thereby, and driving connections between said shaft and each drum including a controlling clutch individual to each drum whereby the drums may be driven separately or simultaneously,

ARTHUR SHELBURNE. 

